(Despite the rain, a long line of people waited in line today outside the Liberty Bell pavilion on Independence Mall. If the government shuts down over a budget stalemate, the pavilion would be closed. Photo by John McDevitt)

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – A group of grade school students visiting Philadelphia’s historic district got a real life lesson today about the US government and the possible government shutdown.

Nine-year-old Dillon is here with his school from Sayreville (Middlesex County), NJ on a weekend tour of the area, and seeing the Liberty Bell is on the agenda for Saturday. He’s not happy he may not get to see it.

“I think it’s absolutely horrible that it could be shut down. I think that all who paid good money to come here deserve to see it,” he told KYW Newsradio today.

Will Kanouth, one of the parents on the trip, says the possible shutdown is sparking conversation.

“You have to explain to them why, which gets into the whole how-we-became-a-country-and-a-people as it is with politics and government and discussion and trying to work out things and trying to compromise on issues,” he said. “It’s pretty much how we came about as a country.”